Rocking-moving vehicle toy



y 26, 1931- P. MUEHLFELD ET AL 1,307,423

ROCKIfiG MOVING VEHICLE TOY Filed May 21, 1930 Peter )[ze {d wen/1am PM at I 3 i ATTORNEY Patented May 26, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PETER MUEHLFELD AND EEK-MANN DEUIBEL, on N11! YORK, N. Y.

ROCKING-MOVING VEHICLE TOY Application filed May 21, 1930. Serial No. 454,236.

This invention relates to new and useful said ratchet wheel 17, and means for'causing improvements in a rocking moving vehicle to The invention has for an object the provision of a deviceof the class mentioned which is of simple durable construction, dependable' in use and eflicient in action, and which can be manufactured and sold at a reasonable cost. V

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various is novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth. In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure i Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a device 20 constructed according to this invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 1, but illustrating another embodiment of the invention.

Fig.3 is a fragmentary plan view looking in the direction of the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view as though taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detailed View of a portion-of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary View 35 taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 6.

The rocking moving vehicle toy includes a chassis 10, a rocker 11 having rocker rails 12 resting on said chassis 10, arms 13 with I shaped slots 14 depending from said rails 12 for swaying upon operation of the rocker 11,

a gear system connected'between the wheels 15 of said chassis and a shaft 16 carrying a ratchet wheel 17, a'pawl arm 18 through which the said shaft 16 freely engages, a two-way pawl 19 on said pawl arm 18 for engaging engagement of the pawl 19 one way or the other for transmitting rotations in one or the other directions to the chassis wheels 15.

A link 20 is pivotally mounted on said pawl arm 18 and carrying a pin 21 engaging in said I slot 14 and manually controlled means for supporting the link 20 so thatthe pin 21 engages in the horizontal top 22 of the I slot 14 or various positions on the intermediate verti cal portion 23 or in the horizontal bottom 24 of the slot.

The length of the horizontal top portion 22 of the I slot should be sufficient so as, not to transmit any of the swaying motion of the arms 13 tothe pawl arm 18when'the pin 21 is therein engaged. In this condition the rocking motion of the arm 13 will not cause the vehicle to advance. The length of the bottom horizontal portion 24 of the I slot is short enough so as to transmit a small snappy stroke to the pawl arm 18 so that the vehicle 10 smartly jumps for each cycle of rocking.

Thechassis 10 comprises a box having a horizontal top-25. It is upon this top that the rocker rails 12 rest. The chassis 10also is provided with front wheels 26'upon an axle '27 pivotally supported at its center 28 and connected with a control rod 29 terminating in the'vicinity of one sitting on the rocker 11 so that the vehicle may be steered. In Fig. 1 the rocker is shown to include a horse shaped figure 30 upon which the child is supposed to sit. In Fig. 2 the rocker is shown to include a chair 31. While just these twoiforms have been shown, others may be used. Lugs 32 project from the top 25 of the chassis and serve ,to pivotally support the rocker rails 12 so that motion of therails are limited torocking only. The arms 13 project through slots 33 in the top 25 of the chassis and so extend within the box constituting the chassis.

' The gear system for connecting the wheels 15 and terminating in the said shaft 16 include the rear shaft 32' rotatively mounted and fixedly supporting the wheels 15 and carrying gears 34 meshing with gears 34 fixed upon the shaft 16. The pawl arm 18 is merely a flat sheet of metal extending upwards and through which the shaft 16 freely engages. The two-way pawl 19 is pivotally mounted intermediate of its ends upon a pin 35 which projects from the pawl arm 18. The end of the control rod 36 is also pivotally mounted on the pin 35. A spring 37 is coaX- ially arranged upon the pin 35 and acts between the pawl 19 and the control rod 36 for resiliently holding the pawl in a relative position to the control rod as shown in Fig. 6.

The means for causing engagement of the pawl 19 one way or the other way with said ratchet wheel 17 comprises a right hand catch 38 fixed upon the pawl arm 18 and adapted to engage the control rod 36 so as to hold the latter element slightly tilted to the right and cause the pawl to engage with its right end in the ratchet wheel 17 The means also includes a left catch 39 which is similar in structure to the right hand catch 38, also mounted upon the pawl arm 18 and adapted to hold the control rod 36 slightly tilted towards the left so as to hold the pawl 18 with its left end engaging the ratchet wheel 17. The tip of the control rod 36 projects through a slot 40 in thetop member 25 so that it may be manually moved to one or the other of said caught positions. The pivotal mounting of the link 20 upon the pawl arm 18 is accomplished by a screw 41 engaging through the link and through an aperture in the pawl arm. A plurality of other apertures 41 are also formed in the pawl arm so that the position of the link may be adjusted if this is deemed necessary.

The manually controlled means for supporting the link 20 so that the pin 21 engages in the horizontal or vertical. portions of the slot 14 as before recited comprises a bell crank 42 pivotally mounted intermediate of its ends upon a standard 43 projecting from the top member 25. The top end of the hell crank 42 engages in a slot 44 formed in the link 20. The bottom end of the bell crank 42 pivotally and slidably connects in the slot 45' formed in the bottom end of a handle 45 pivotally mounted intermediate of its ends at 46 upon a standard 13 projecting from the bottom of the top 25. This handle 45 we tends through a slot 47 in the top member 25 and resiliently moves against one side of this slot. This particular side is formed with a plurality of recesses 48 so as to hold the handle in various adjusted positions.

In operation of the device and assuming it to be in the condition as shown in Fig. 4, when a child rocks the rocker 11, motion will be transmitted from the arms 13 to the rear wheels so as to cause the toy to travel at the same time that rocking takes place. In the event that it is desired to change the speed of travel of the toy, it is merely necessary to manually bend the lever 45 so that it disengages from the particular recess 48 and move it to engage in a new recess. Such motion of the handle 45 is transmitted to move the bell crank 42 which lifts or lowers the link 20 so that the pin 21 engages in a different position in the slot 14.

lVhen it is intended to stop the traveling of the toy but allow rocking to continue, the handle 45 is moved to such a position in the slot 47 so that the pin 21 of the link 20 is disposed within the top horizontal portion 22 of the I slot. Now no swaying movements of the arms 13 are transmitted to the link. hen the lever 45 is moved so that the pin 21 engages in the bottom horizontal portion 24 of the I slot, at short snappy stroke will be periodically transmitted to the link 20 which will cause the finger to suddenly jump once in each cycle of rocking. The link 20 may slide since the top of the bell crank 41 engages in the slot 44 which serves to merely support the link, but does not hinder sliding.

lVhile we have shown and described the preferred embodiment of our invention, it is to be understood that we do not limit ourselves to the precise construction herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. I i

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire .to secure by United States Letters Patent is 1. A rocking moving vehicle toy, comprising a chassis, a rocker having rocker rails resting on said chassis, arms with I shaped slots depending from said rails for swaying upon operation of the rocker, a gear system connected with the wheels of said chassis and terminating in a shaft carryil'ig a ratchet wheel, a pawl arm free on said shaft, a two way pawl on said pawl arm for engaging said ratchet wheel, means for causing engagement of the pawl one way or the other for transmitting rotation in one or the other directions to the chassis wheels, a link pivotally mounted on said pawl arm and carrying a pin engaging in said I slot, and manually controlled means for supporting the link sothat the pin engages in the horizontal top of the I slot or various positions on the intermediate vertical portion or in the horizontal bottom of the I slot.

2. A rocking moving vehicle toy, comprising a chassis, a rocker having rocker rails resting on said chassis, arms with I shaped slots depending from said rails for swaying upon operation of the rocker, a gear system connected with the wheels of said chassis and terminating in a shaft carrying a ratchet wheel, a pawl arm free on said shaft, a two way pawl on said pawl arm for engaging said ratchet Wheel, means for causing engagement of the pawl one way or the other for transmitting rotation in one or the other directions to the chassis wheels, a link pivotally mounted on said pawl arm and carrying a pin engaging in said I slot, and manually controlled means for supporting the link so that the pin engages in the horizontal top of the I slot or various positions on the intermediate vertical portion or in the horizontal bottom of the I slot, said rocker including a horse vehicle.

3. A rocking moving vehicle toy, comprising a chassis, a rocker having rocker rails resting on said chassis, arms with I shaped slots depending from said rails for swaying upon operation of the rocker, a gear system connected with the wheels of said chassis and terminating in a shaft carrying a ratchet wheel, a pawl arm free on said shaft, a twoway pawl on said pawl arm for engaging said ratchet wheel, means for causing engagement of the pawl one way or the other for transmitting rotation in one or the other directions to the chassis Wheels, a link pivotally mounted on said pawl arm and carrying a pin engaging in said I slot, and manually controlled means for supporting the link so that the pin engages in the horizontal top of the I slot or various positions on the intermediate vertical portion or in the horizontal bottom of the I slot, the length of the top horizontal portion of the I slot being sufficient so as not to transmit any of the swaying motion of the arms to the pawl arm.

4. A rocking moving vehicle toy, comprising a chassis, a rocker having rocker rails resting on said chassis, arms with I shaped slots depending from said rails for swaying upon operation of the rocker, a gear system connected with the wheels of said chassis and terminating in a shaft carrying a ratchet wheel, a pawl arm free on said shaft, a twoway pawl on said pawl arm for engaging said ratchet wheel, means for causing engagement of the pawl one way or the other for transmitting rotation in one or the other directions to the chassis wheels, a link pivotally mounted on said pawl arm and carrying a pin engaging in said I slot, and manually controlled means for supporting the link so that the pin engages in the horizontal top of the I slot or various positions on the intermediate vertical portion or in the horizontal bottom of the I slot, the length of the top horizontal portion of the I slot being sutlicient so as not to transmit any of the swaying motion of the arms to the pawl arm, and the length of the bottom horizontal portion of the I slot being sufficient so as to transmit a small snappy stroke to the pawl arm.

5. A rocking moving vehicle toy, comprising a chassis, a rocker having rocker rails resting on said chassis, arms with I shaped slots depending from said rails for swaying upon operation of the rocker, a gear system connected with-the wheels of said chassis and terminating in a shaft carrying a ratchet wheel, a pawl arm free on said shaft, a twoway pawl on said pawl armfor engaging said ratchet wheel, means for causing engagement of the pawl one way or the other for transmitting rotation in one or the otherdirec tions to the chassis wheels, alink pivotally mounted on said pawlarm and carrying a pin engaging in said I slot, and manually controlled means for supporting the link so that the pin engages in the horizontal top of the I slot or various positions on the intermediate vertical portion or in the horizontal bottom of the I slot, said chassis also including front wheels mounted upon an axle pivotally supported, and a control rod connects with said axle and terminates in the vicinity of one occupying the rocker for steering of the vehicle. A

6. A rocking moving vehicle toy, comprising a chassis, a rockerhaving rocker rails resting on said chassis, arms with I shaped slots depending from said rails for swaying upon operation of the rocker, a gear system connected with the wheels of said chassis and terminating in a shaft carrying a ratchet wheel, a pawl arm free on said shaft, a twoway pawl on said pawl arm for engaging said ratchet wheel, means for causing engagement of the pawl one way or the other for transmitting rotation in one or the other directions to the chassis wheels, a link pivotally mounted on said pawl arm and carrying a pin engaging in said I slot, and manually controlled means for supporting the link so that the pin engages in the horizontal top of the I slot or various positions on the intermediate vertical portion or in the horizontal bottom of the I slot, said latter means comprising a bell crank pivotally mounted intermediate of its ends, the top end of said bell crank engaging in a slot formed in said link, and a handle pivotally mounted intermediate of its ends and connected with the bottom end of said bell crank.

7. A rocking moving vehicle toy, comprising a chassis, a rocker having rocker rails resting on said chassis, arms with I shaped slots depending from said rails for swaying upon operation of the rocker, a gear system connected with the wheels of said chassis and terminating in a shaft carrying a ratchet wheel, a pawl arm free on said shaft, a twoway pawl on said pawl arm for engaging said ratchet wheel, means for causing engagement of the pawl one way or the other for transmittingrotation in one or the other directions to the chassis wheels, a link pivotally mounted on said pawl arm and carrying a pin engaging in said I slot, and manually controlled means for supporting the link so that the pin engages in the horizontal top of the I slot or various positions on the intermediate vertical portion or in the horizontal bottom of the I slot, said means for causing engagement of the pawl one Way or the other for transmitting rotations in one or the other directionscomprising a control rod connected with said pawl and a right catch for holding the control rod towards the right and a left catch for holding it towards the left.

In testimony whereof We have affixed our signatures.

PETER MUEHLFELD. HERMANN DEUBEL. 

